This invention relates generally to an improved venetian blind system to be used for window and door coverings.
Venetian blinds have found widespread use in residential and commercial applications as window coverings because of their ability to selectively vary the amount of light passing through a window, glass door, skylight, or the like, by the varying of a plurality of vanes or slats. The vanes are generally tilted about their longitudinal axis between a first position, wherein they are substantially upright for blocking light, and a second position, where they are substantially horizontal, for maximizing light passage.
The tilting of the vanes is typically caused by pull cords or by the rotation of a downwardly extending wand or handle, which extends from a head rail of the venetian blinds. The wand is connected to a rod passing in the head rail, generally with a universal-type joint, to allow the wand to be at a variety of different angles with respect to the head rail, while still allowing the wand to be rotated for turning the rod within the head rail.
A conventional venetian blind design commonly found in homes and offices requires a wand for tilting the vanes and a separate pull-cord arrangement, generally on the other end of the blinds, for raising and lowering the vanes. This results in both the wand and the pull-cord hanging down from the blinds, which could detract from the appearance of the blinds, and could also render use of the blinds more difficult if either the wand or the pull-cord is in a difficult location to reach for normal use.
The conventional venetian blinds also have a drawback in that the vane tilting arrangement is relatively complicated, requiring the use of a universal-type joint between the wand and tilting rod, and also requiring the wand to be connected to the universal-type joint in a freely moveable manner.
Moreover, conventional venetian blinds can present a strangulation hazard to small children, in that the pull-cord arrangement extending down from the blinds can act as a noose for small children should their heads get caught therein. This could occur if a small child is on an elevated surface and then falls through the cords, or is playing in the cords and looses footing. The same danger can also be present for pets.
Various types of blind designs have been patented. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,646, issued to Zilver, discloses a venetian blind having a worm wheel for tilting the slats. A universal joint is used in connection with the tilting assembly, and the slats are raised by pulling cords downwardly through a hollow oblong member. A brake member is provided for securing the cords in a desired position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,580, issued to Christoffersson, discloses a conventional vane tilting mechanism which is actuated by an operating bar. A pull-cord is provided for raising the vanes, and a flexible shaft connects an operating rod to the operating rod for adjusting the slats.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,698, issued to Rossini, et al., discloses a venetian blind within a sealed interspace between two glass surfaces. German Patent Document No. 1,066,909, discloses what is apparently a right angle drive system for allowing tilting of slats via the turning of a crank.
While the foregoing designs are known, there still exists a need for venetian blinds of simplified construction, streamlined design, and which are less prone to pose a safety risk to small children.